Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Manager Files: Claudio Ranieri, the humble King of England

Claudio Ranieri is the next subject of Manager Files as we
take a look at the tactics, mannerisms, demeanour and touchline antics
of the game’s top bosses. Coach Couture
Ranieri’s round specs remain a high point in dug-out chic. Despite
strolling to the league title by 10 points last season the ‘Tinkerman’
hasn’t changed his circular lens look when there may have been a
temptation over the summer to ‘do an Elton John’ and jazz things up a
bit. You have to respect that kind of humility.Tactics
Leicester famously won the Premier League playing 4-4-2 on the
counter and went back to basics at the weekend following that shocker
they threw in against Hull City on the opening day. Two wide players,
Jamie Vardy playing off Shinji Okazaki and big Wes Morgan and Robert
Huth re-united in the heart of defence. Both of those defenders were
consistency personified last season and were bang at it once again on Saturday, keeping a lively Gunners side relatively subdued. Indeed Huth was arguably Leicester’s best player on the day.
Truth be told Leicester were rather unlucky to claim only a share of
the spoils and had two big penalty appeals waved away. Last season –
when they were on a roll – I am certain at least one of those would have
been given.Touchline antics
Wise old owl Ranieri has a reputation as one of the game’s more
sedate bosses and at the grand old age of 64 don’t expect him to start
throwing water bottles around or moshing in the technical area anytime
soon. The second penalty shout on 88 minutes looked a stone-waller and
while the Italian was clearly not happy with the officials he kept his
cool and was gracious at the end as he shook hands with under-fire
counterpart Arsene Wenger.What they said
The Leicester boss refused to rip into referee Mark Clattenberg, who
was unmoved when Danny Drinkwater went over in the first half after
clashing with Laurent Koscielny and then refused to point to the spot
late on when Hector Bellerin bundled the lively Ahmed Musa over in the
area.
“I am not a manager who says ‘That was a penalty,’ that is crying,”
the Italian cheerily declared afterwards. “For me it is OK. The referee
made a very good performance and for me a penalty is when the referee
whistles. He didn’t whistle, so it wasn’t.”Mind games
Nothing to see here. Ranieri played this one with a straight bat both
before and after. He predicted Arsenal target Riyad Mahrez would be
staying at the King Power and was as good as his word as the Algerian
schemer signed a contract extension until 2020 just days before the
clash.
And after this stalemate he was magnanimous when stating “The manager
makes mistakes, the referee makes mistakes, the players make mistakes.
It was a good match: that’s it for me.”P45 prospects
After last season’s breathtaking heroics when his own mother even
labelled him the ‘King of England’ Ranieri probably has a job for life
at Leicester if he wants it. The Foxes may have only taken one point
from a possible six so far but the ‘Tinkerman’ looks very relaxed about
it all and is a whopping 66/1 at time of writing to the next Premier
League boss to leave his post.